


What Lies Ahead

by Mizukixx96



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, Divorced Lori Grimes/Rick Grimes, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Jealous Shane Walsh, Post-Divorce, Romance, Walkers (Walking Dead)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:40:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24536341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizukixx96/pseuds/Mizukixx96
Summary: Rick never thought he'd love again after he and Lori got divorced but that all changed when Hayley Summers arrived in town. Will the new girl in town be able to mend Rick's heart? What will happen to them when the dead start walking the earth and they have to fight for survival? (Starts pre-apocalypse)
Relationships: Lori Grimes/Shane Walsh, Maggie Greene/Glenn Rhee, Rick Grimes/Original Character(s), Rick Grimes/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	1. Welcome To King County

Hayley took in a deep breath as she stood in the middle of the newly renovated bakery. It was small a long display case was to the left along with the till, on the right there were a couple tables for customers that wanted to stay in and eat. She had been working on it for the past month traveling to and from Atlanta twice a week to keep an eye on its progress, however now it was finally finished and Hayley had finally moved to Kings County. Along with her 12 year old son Will.

Hayley decided to move to King county a year ago after her divorce, it had always been a dream of hers to open a bakery and that dream had finally come true. Moving to a small town had always been something she wanted to do but her ex-husband had refused, he didn't like the idea even now but she couldn't give a damn what he thought he was lucky that he got to see Will at all even if it was only every other weekend.

"Mom! I finished the sign" a voice called from the small office in back before the pounding of feet could be heard. Hayley smiled as she saw her son running towards her a piece of paper clutched tightly in his hands.

"Go put it on the door then and hopefully I'll be able to get some help around here" Hayley had spent most of the day baking with help from her son who had his mothers flare for it. Even with her sons offered help she still needed another baker and someone to help behind the counter.

"Alright buddy did you clear everything up back there?" Hayley asked as she grabbed her keys and back from the counter.

"Yes mom and I made sure everything was turned off now can we please go home" Will whined causing Hayley to laugh as she ushered him outside and into the car.

They arrived at the small two story house in less than ten minutes. Will ran in the house and headed straight to the kitchen getting everything ready for their pizza night. Hayley looked around the small yet cosy house and smiled she hadn't felt this happy in years, a fresh start was just what she needed after the way her husband had treated her.

Her husband used to be a nice man, they had gotten married straight after college and had Will shortly after. Hayley believed they were the perfect family that was until he fell in with the wrong crowd. The changes were miner at first staying out a bit later than usual drinking a bit more, but one drink turned into two then three. He'd come home smelling of booze or not come home at all. She wanted to believe that he would get better, become better for their son but that never happened. She remembered the day she packed up and left taking Will with her. Hayley had gotten a call from Will's school saying he hadn't been picked up and when she got home she had found her husband in bed with another woman, she had yelled and screamed at him all with Will watching from the doorway unseen by the two adults in the room. The next few minutes went by in a blur she remembered the pain in her cheek from where he'd hit her, her son standing up for her and her ex-husband shouting at Will. She'd left that night with no regrets.

As Hayley walked into the kitchen she smiled at her son who was happily assembling his pizza, yeah she definitely had no regrets.

Rick sighed as he walked into the locker room at the station, he'd been called in around lunch to help with a case. Rick loved his job but sometimes he couldn't help but hate it especially when it cut into his time with Carl.

Rick and Lori had filed for divorce two years ago, he didn't want to at first afraid of what it would do to Carl but after talking about it as a family they decided it was the best decision. The two adults were constantly arguing about anything and everything and if he was being brutally honest they had lost the spark that they once had.

Despite everything Rick and Lori were still friends and whenever he wasn't working he would spent time with Carl who had adjusted well to his parents being apart. But right now Rick was heading back to his two bedroom apartment alone. Sighing sadly Rick pulled a clean shirt on before closing his locker.

"Yo Rick" Rick turned around to see his best friend Shane heading towards him "you coming out for drinks with the guys tonight?"

"Nah I think I'm good" Rick responded while heading towards the exit with Shane hot on his heels. "Just gonna stay home have a quiet night in"

"come on Rick! You never know you could meet someone there" Shane smirked

"At a bar? I'm not the love 'em and leave 'em type like you brother"

"Ouch I think you just hurt my pride" Shane said over dramatically before turning serious "fine I won't push it but you seriously need a date man, you haven't dated anyone since Lori and I think it would be good for you"

Rick appreciated what Shane was saying he did need to start dating again the only problem was he hadn't been on a date in 15 years and the last person he'd asked out was Lori.

"I'll think about it" Rick mumbled as they made it into the parking lot of the police station. Just as Rick was about to get into his car Shane called out

"Hey that new bakery is opening tomorrow you wanna go grab breakfast there before our shift, introduce ourselves?" Shane suggested

"Yeah sure, be good to introduce ourselves make them feel more welcome" Rick agreed before waving bye to Shane. Once he arrived back to his apartment Rick noticed that he'd failed to clear up the board game he was playing with Carl, a sad smile appeared on his face knowing that it would be a while before they got to finish it.

Laying in bed that night Rick thought about what Shane had said to him earlier. Rick hasn't had much of a social life since he and Lori split up, if he want at work he was with Carl or in his apartment watching crappy TV. Rick groaned running a hand down his face Shane was definitely right he needed to get back out there and move on the only problem was that he wasn't sure how.

The next morning Hayley woke up excited for the day ahead as it was officially opening day. Before heading to the bakery she dropped Will off at his new school wishing him luck and promising to pick him up.

When she arrived at the bakery Hayley was surprised to see some people already waiting outside for it to open, she told them all she'd be ready for business in five minutes before quickly rushing inside to get the display cases ready. Five minutes later Hayley took a deep breath in order to steady her nerves before flipping the sign on the door to open and unlocking it allowing the first customers inside.

Hayley was pleasantly surprised with how many people had turned up not only to buy her baked goods but also to welcome her, she guessed word travelled fast around here. She couldn't help but feel relieved at how everyone seemed to be enjoying her baking, the friendly smiles made Hayley feel right at home.

Hayley had just finished serving an elderly lady when she saw two gentlemen in police uniforms walk into the shop, they both looked to be in there mid 30's one of them was slightly taller and wore a smirk on his face upon seeing her. But it was the other one that caught her attention, he had a sheriffs hat on and the most piercing blue eyes she'd ever seen.

Snapping herself out of it Hayley smiled at the men "Hello officers, what can I get for you today?"

"Hello ma'am, I'm sheriff Rick Grimes and this is my partner Shane Walsh. We just wanted to welcome you to the community and introduce ourselves" Rick held out his hand for her to shake and she gladly took it.

"It's nice to meet you both, my names Hayley Summers"

"It's nice to meet you Hayley. Your shop looks wonderful by the way"

"Yeah we've needed a good bakery round here for a while now. Mind if we grab two coffees and two blueberry muffins" Shane spoke up for the first time after shaking her hand.

"Well thank you gentlemen. Would you like your order to take away?"

Rick was going to say yes but was quickly cut off by Shane "we'll have it to eat in"

"Okay well that will be $6.50 then please" Hayley smiled at them as she gestured them to go sit down and she would bring it to them once it was ready.

Rick and Shane went to go sit down at the table closest to the door. Rick was still confused as to why Shane had wanted to eat in "You do know our shift starts in 15 right?"

"Yep" Shane replied smugly "just figured you'd want to sit in enjoy the view you know" Rick just gave Shane a confused look causing his best friend to let out a small snort of laughter "oh come on man I practically saw your eyes light up once you saw her. Admit it brother you think she's cute"

"Well I mean yeah she's cute but I don't even know her Shane so don't get any ideas" Rick hissed at his best friend, sure the woman was pretty but he wasn't the type to go out with someone he just met. Before Shane could reply Hayley came over the the table

"Here you go officers two coffees and two muffins, enjoy!" Hayley placed the items in front of them with a bright smile adorning her face causing Rick to smile in thanks towards her. Rick decided to try the blueberry muffin first to see how good of a baker she was, he couldn't help the hum of delight that left his tips as he chewed on the tasty treat.

"Jesus these are fucking delicious" Shane mumbled through a large bite of muffin "we should come here for breakfast more often".

Rick just nodded in agreement unable to answer with his mouth full. The two best friends sat there and talked until they had to leave for their shift. Rick and Shane got up and headed towards the door but before exiting Rick turned to Hayley who was sorting out a display case full of cupcakes "thank you that was delicious"

"Thank you, y'all come back again okay?" Hayley smiled at him.

"Oh we definitely will darling" Shane spoke as he opened the door and headed towards the car.

"Goodbye Hayley" Rick opened the door but before he walked out he turned back to face her "oh and welcome to King County"


	2. Becoming Friends

It had been five days since Hayley had opened the bakery and business was good. She had managed to hire people to help around the shop. Mary was an older lady in her 50's who had years of baking experience so she helped out in the kitchens and there was Chloe who was fresh out of collage and needed the work. She helped Hayley behind the counter and looked after the place while Hayley ran errands or went to pick up Will. 

Over the past couple days Rick and Shane had been almost every morning for breakfast. Except today it was just Shane and Hayley felt slightly disappointed that Rick hadn't been there. She had gotten to know the two officers since she saw them everyday, she found them easy to talk to and would find herself getting lost in conversation with them. She even sat down with them while they ate yesterday. So far she'd found out that Shane was a ladies man who flirted with anyone including her, although she just laughed it off, he wasn't really her type. Rick however never flirted with her he was always a gentlemen, she'd found out that he had a son named Carl who was a couple years younger than her own. She assumed that he was divorced due to the lack of a ring on his finger though he never talked about it and she wasn't going to bring it up, she knew from personal experience how painful that could be. 

It was almost three o'clock and Hayley was preparing to go pick up Will from school when the bell chimed above the door. Hayley turned and smiled at the person walking towards the counter. "Hey Rick what can I get you today?"

Rick smiled at her as he walked up to the counter, Hayley noticed that he wasn't in his Sheriffs uniform so he must have the day off, "One chocolate chip muffin and one chocolate brownie please Hayley"

Hayley nodded and immediately got to work on getting his order ready placing the two items into a small cardboard box. As she was heading back towards him Rick's phone went off. The look on Rick's face told Hayley that he was extremely annoyed by whoever it was as he signalled that he was going to take the call outside.

Hayley watched Rick through the window as he paced stopping briefly to run a hand through his hair in frustration. When Rick came in the happiness was completely gone from his features. 

"Everything okay there officer" Hayley asked softly 

"It's supposed to be the start of my weekend off with my son but I've been called into work. Lori's gonna kill me" he muttered that last part to himself. 

Hayley bit her lip debating with herself before finally making up her mind "how long will you be at work for?"

"A couple of hours, why?" Rick asked looking at her with furrowed brows 

"Well I'm going to pick up Will so if you want I could bring your son back here with me and watch him for a couple of hours?" Hayley offered 

"I couldn't ask you to do that"

"You're not asking I'm offering. They could sit and do homework even help me bake if they want, honestly Rick it's no problem at all" 

Rick seemed to think about it for a moment before agreeing "okay I'll find a way to repay you I promise"

"No need for that, now schools getting out soon so we should probably go meet the boys and explain everything" She didn't need him to pay her back for this, he was already doing that by being kind to her and coming into her shop everyday. 

The two adults decided to take their two separate cars that way Rick could go straight down to the station after seeing Carl. Normally Rick wouldn't trust someone he'd only met with his son so soon after meeting them but he trusted Hayley she was kind, he'd gotten to know her rather well over the past couple days and he could tell she was an excellent mother. 

Ten minutes later the two of them pulled up to the school parking side by side just outside the entrance. Getting out the cars they both walked in silence, stopping just across the entrance Rick leaned up against a tree as Hayley stood beside him. 

"So does Will always help out at the bakery?" Rick was the first one to break the silence between them. 

"Yes he loves it, always insists on trying out new recipes. He even cooks dinner sometimes" A proud smile made its ways cross her face as she talked about her son and Rick couldn't help the smile that crossed his "What about Carl? Does he take after you?"

"Yeah" Rick let out a soft laugh "He's always asking me about my job, he mentioned how he wanted to be just like me when he's older not sure his mother would like that though"

"Well I think it's sweet that Carl has a dad like you to look up to, someone that gets the bad guys and saves people. All Will has is me and all I do is bake" Rick could hear the sadness in Hayley's voice 

"Hey you're a great mom and one day that kids gonna be a world class chef you just watch" Rick smiled at Hayley as she smiled back at him. 

"Thank you Rick" Hayley suddenly remembered something "should we exchange numbers? You know just In case" 

Rick nodded as he got out his phone and Hayley typed her number into it as he did the same with hers. The two of them handed the phones back to each other while soft smiles played on their faces. 

"Mom!" A voice called the two adults looked away from each other seeing Will walking towards them smiling, the smile soon turned into a confused frown upon seeing Rick. "Who's this?" Will asked as soon as he stood in front of the two adults.

"William Summers don't be rude, this is a friend of mine Rick, his sons going to join us at the bakery for a little while while he goes to work" Hayley explained 

"So your the sheriff? Hello I'm Will it's nice to meet you" Will stuck his hand out for a Rick to shakes. Will had heard his mom mention the two officers that came into the bakery for breakfast everyday. He had seen the man and his mom talking and smiling at each other, Will was very protective of her especially after seeing the way his father had treated her. 

Rick was shocked at how quickly Will went from practically glaring at him to beaming up at him with a smile on his face. Rick took Will's hand shaking it "It's nice to meet you Will" 

"Dad?" A slightly timid voice called from a few feet away, three pairs of eyes turned to face a boy that was just younger than Will stood their nervously clutching is backpack.

"Carl" Rick moved over to his son and pulled him into a hug "This is my friend Hayley and her son Will" Rick introduced them, the mother and son waved at the younger Grimes. "Listen Carl I've got to work for a couple of hours"

"Does this mean I have to go to moms" Carl asked sadly 

"No, Hayley has agreed to look after you. She's going to take you to the bakery and you can wait for me there okay" Carl looked at Rick sceptically "I trust her ok buddy"

"Okay Dad" Carl hugged his father before the two walked over to the pair waiting for them by Hayley's car. The boys got into the back seat while Hayley hung back to talk to Rick. 

"Thank you again for doing this it means a lot"

"Honestly Rick it's no problem and I promise not to fill him up with cake" Hayley and Rick laughed at the comment before they said their goodbyes and getting into their separate cars. 

On the way home Hayley could hear Will and Carl in the back seat discussing their favourite comic book characters. Hayley couldn't help but smile at how well the two boys were getting along. Will wasn't one to make friends easily he was rather quiet around kids his own age and got along better with adults so seeing him being so talkative with Carl had brought a small smile to her face. 

Once back at the bakery the two boys sat at a table and got on with their homework so that they didn't have to do it over the weekend, Hayley's heart swelled as she saw them helping each other, seeing Will laughing and making friends brought tears to the single mothers eyes but she blinked them away before anyone could see.

Hayley had relieved her other two workers letting them go home for the day as they would be closing shortly. "Hey boys do you want any cakes before I pack them away?". The two boys immediately rushed up to the counter and started looking at what was left. Will decided on a chocolate chip cookie while Carl went for a red velvet cupcake, she handed them their treats watching as they said thank you and immediately rushed back to the table. 

While the boys were eating Hayley locked the door and flipped the sign to closed, she moved to and from the kitchen and the counter placing what was left into cake tins, she also filled a little tin with a mixture of cakes and biscuits to give to Rick later on. Hayley was busy cleaning out the display cases when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. 

I should be there to pick Carl up in about an hour, sorry this is taking longer than expected - Rick 

Hayley smiled at the text, she honestly didn't mind looking after Carl he was a great kid,

That's okay, it's no problem Carl is a great kid - Hayley 

Hayley placed her phone back in her pocket and continued to clean the bakery. After she finished cleaning she noticed that there was still half an hour left until Rick came and the boys had finished their homework. "Hey boys Carl's dad won't be here for another half an hour, you boys want to make some cakes while we wait?" 

Both boys immediately jumped up in excitement rushing to follow Hayley into the kitchen where they agreed to make some chocolate cupcakes. Hayley gathered all the ingredients as the boys put on their aprons and got everything ready. Hayley guided them as they made the cakes not really needing to help much, she only needed to intervene when the boys started a fight with the flower. When the cakes were baked and cool enough the trio started icing them, half way through the icing process a knock came from the bakery door. Hayley look confused for a moment before checking the time and realising that it must be Rick, she quickly rushed to the door unlocking it and letting him in.

"Hey sorry I'm late" Rick said as he stepped through the door "has he been okay?"

"He's been great, done all his homework. They boys are just finishing icing some cupcakes they made" Hayley grinned at the man as she led him into the kitchen where they found the two boys eating the cupcakes they had just made "and what do you think you two are doing" Hayley crossed her arms over her chest a stern exspression on her face as the two boys stood there wide eyed,

"Quality control!" Will blurted out 

"We were just making sure they were okay" Carl added wiping some icing from round his mouth before he noticed his dad was there and ran to hug him 

"Hey buddy you have a good time with miss Summers?" 

"Yes she let me have a cake and then we got to bake some and she said we could take some home" the boy explained happily. The smile on Carl's face was infectious and the two adults couldn't help but laugh at how happy he was. "Hey dad can Will and his mom come to the zoo with us on Sunday?" Carl look up at his dad with pleading eyes.

"Oh Carl I'm not sure that-" Hayley started to protest not wanting to get in the way of their father son weekend but Rick cut her off

"Of course they can, if that's okay with them?" Rick look at Hayley as she turned to look at her son who was nodding his head enthusiastically. 

"We would love to come thank you" Hayley replied as she ruffled Carl's hair "right boys it's getting late why don't you two pack up the cakes while I speak to Rick". While the two boys got everything ready Rick and Hayley headed to the front of the bakery "Thank you for inviting us Rick but I don't want to intrude on your weekend with Carl"

"You won't be intruding Hayley" Rick put a reassuring hand on her shoulder "I want you both to come. Carl seems to be getting on great with Will, plus I like talking to you so we'll have have a great day and get to know each other"

"Thank you" Hayley felt herself blush slightly at Rick's words "You're a great guy Rick and an amazing father. After the zoo you and Carl can come round for dinner, it's make your own pizza night on Sunday"

"We'd love to" Rick smiled at her as the boys came out the kitchen carrying two boxes of cupcakes. Hayley went through the bakery and turned everything off before ushering everyone out and locking the door. Hayley and Will said one last goodbye to Rick and Carl the two boys voicing how excited they were for Sunday before getting into their respective cars. Hayley and Rick giving each other one final wave before getting into their cars and driving away. 

On the way home Hayley noticed that from the passengers seat Will kept looking over at her with a smile on his face "What's got you all smiley over there?" 

"Oh nothing mom just happy that I made a new friend is all" Will replied innocently. Little did Hayley know that it wasn't the real reason at all.


	3. Plotting and Pizza Making

Waking up on Sunday morning Hayley almost didn't want to get out of bed, she'd had a extra busy day at the bakery yesterday and had constantly been rushed off her feet. She groaned as her alarm went off and quickly hit the snooze button without even thinking. Hayley buried herself back into the warmth of her duvet, giving a happy sigh she started to fall back to sleep. However that peace didn't last long as a loud knocking came from her bedroom door.

"Come on mom! We got a busy day today get up!" Will shouted through the door causing Hayley to groan "Don't want to be late to meet Rick do you" the 13 year old said in a sing-song voice clearly mocking the way she got him up for school. 

"Okay I'm up!" Hayley yelled before her voice turned to an irritated grumble "why can't you be up on time for school?" 

"Don't sass me young lady!" 

"Getting too cheeky there William Summers" Hayley called back getting out of bed and going to sort out her clothes for the day.

"Sorry mom...love you" Will said after a moment of silence causing Hayley to smile,

"Love you to now go get ready Rick's picking us up in two hours" Hayley heard Will run off to go get ready before she went into the bathroom and showered. After she'd shower Hayley dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans and a simple black and white striped jumper before towel drying her hair and putting it into a braid. 

Hayley walked downstairs to see Will sat at the kitchen table happily munching a bowl of cereal, she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and sat down next to him. It was clear that they were both excited for the day ahead. The two had gone to the store the night before to get everything they would need to make pizzas including some extras, Hayley had even cleaned downstairs ready for their guests arrival. Hayley found herself feeling nervous about meeting Rick and she wasn't sure why. 

Hayley and Will were sat in the living room continuing a 1000 piece jigsaw that they started Friday night when Hayley's phone beeped next to her.

Just left the house see you soon - Rick 

Hayley smiled at the text before telling Will to get his shoes and coat on. Hayley had just put on her coat and grabbed her bag when a car horn sounded from outside. Will ran to the car while Hayley finished locking up the house. Walking towards the car she got into the passengers eat and was immediately greeted by Rick, "Hey, how have you been?" 

"Hi, good what about you?" She replied as Rick pulled out her driveway and back onto the road.

"Same here. Carl's been non-stop talking about today" Rick chuckled "he even wanted to make some cakes last night to bring round, I think he's trying to impress you" 

"Will hasn't stopped talking about it either, he even woke me up this morning" both adults chuckled at that "so what cakes did you both make?" 

"Well about that.." Rick rubbed the back of his neck nervously 

"Dad burnt them!" Carl blurted out from the back seat throwing a glare his fathers way. "He had one job, to get the cakes out the oven and he fell to sleep" Will burst out laughing upon hearing this and even Hauley had to smile.

"Yeah he's angry with me" Rick whisper to Hayley 

"Well I would say rightfully so, I mean come on Rick all you had to do was get them out the oven and don't blame it on the fact you can't bake either, that's no excuse" Hayley replied trying her hardest not to laugh at the look on Rick's face. 

"In my defence I did offer to make new ones but Carl said he'd rather take the burnt ones round" 

"wow, he'd rather give us burnt ones than ones you'd made? Well remind me never to let you cook" Hayley laughed at the mock hurt look on Rick's face.

"Hey, my cooking is alright it's just my baking that's well..."

"Inedible?" Hayley finished for him causing Rick to scowl at her before the two adults couldn't help but laugh. 

Meanwhile Will and Connor where secretly listening into their parents conversation from the backseat with small grins on their faces, "This is going to be easier than we thought" Will whispered to Carl who nodded his head in agreement. 

\------------

They all had a great time at the zoo, the kids were running ahead always excited to see the next animal while the adults walked behind them at a leisurely pace. The only fight that happened was when Will and Carl were arguing which animal was better, Lions or Gorillas but that fight was soon defused with the help of Rick buying them ice-cream. Hayley would also catch the boys steeling glances at her and Rick while whispering to each other but when they caught her watching they quickly straightened up and acted like nothing was wrong, Hayley was suspicious and decided to ask Rick about it.

"Hey Rick" Rick turned his head away from the Penguins to look at her "have you noticed Will and Carl are acting a bit odd?" 

"Yeah I have a feeling they're up to something" Rick rubbed the stubble on his chin as his blue eyes locked with her green ones "I have a feeling we're going to have our hands full with these two becoming such good friends" 

"Picture time!" Will called running up to the two adults "will you take a picture of me and Carl mom?" 

"Sure sweetie" After taking the picture of Will and Carl together pulling funny faces Hayley look a picture of Rick and Carl, promising to send it to him when they got home. Then Rick took a picture of her and Will before Carl snatched the camera from his dad's hand.

"Okay now you and Hayley need to have a picture together" he beamed up at Rick who grew slightly nervous.

"Oh um Carl I don't think that-" Rick started to stammer 

"Yeah come on you two need to have a picture together!" Will exclaimed as he grabbed Rick's hand and dragged him over towards his mother. The two adults looked at each other sheepishly as they arranged themselves for the picture. Rick tentatively put his arm around her shoulders and Hayley leaned into him slightly trying her hardest not too blush as she noticed the boys stood there with proud smiles on their faces. It look Carl unusually long to take the picture but she just shrugged it off. 

Once the picture was taken the two adults separated and got ready to move on. The rest of the day was full of laughter as the group moved round the zoo and grabbed a bite to eat, to passers by they looked like a family. 

Rick found himself smiling more than he'd done in months, he found himself really enjoying Hayley's company and was glad that his son had suggested that her and her son come today. He felt comfortable with them despite only knowing Hayley for a week and Will for a couple of days. He felt like he could truly be himself with them, to let go of all the stress and have fun. It was safe to say that Rick definitely wanted to do this again.

Hayley felt much the same as Rick did, she felt content and happy. For the past year her life had been full of stress after stress it never seemed to stop. The divorce, the custody hearing and them moving house she'd never really had much time to relax. Being here with Will, Rick and Carl was making all that stress just melt away into nothing. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt, she needed more days like this. 

On the drive home the two boys were asleep in the backseat while the adults sat quietly up front. It wasn't an awkward silence by any means they were both just tired from the long day. 

"Thank you for today" Hayley's whispered voice broke the silence "I haven't seen Will have that much fun in...well ages" 

"Don't need to thank me, I had a really good time. Looks like Carl and Will have become fast friends" Rick replied 

"I think their parents have to" Hayley turned her head and gave Rick a small smile as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye, he gave her a smile in return. 

"Yeah I think they have". The rest of the car journey was in mostly silence. Hayley fell to sleep at some point leaving Rick alone with his thoughts for the rest of the journey. 

Rick didn't have many friends, most of his friends were on the force with him and the rest were Lori's friends that he didn't really talk to now. He looked over at Hayley and couldn't believe how easy she was to talk to, how it felt like they'd been friends longer than a week. But did he feel more for her? He wasn't sure. What he knew for certain however was that he definitely wanted to spend more time with her. 

\-----------------

"Will! Carl! Stop throwing the toppings at each other or you'll have non left for the pizzas" Hayley called as she walked back into the kitchen. When they had arrived home the boys seemed to be full of energy again as they ran to the kitchen and started on their pizzas. The two adults stopped in the hallway to put away the boys shoes and coats. 

"Rick started it" Will pointed at Rick who held up his hands in surrender looking somewhat guilty. Hayley crossed her arms over her chest giving him a stern look 

"Oh did he now?" Hayley calmly walked over to the kitchen island and picked up a small cube of cheese before smirking lightly and throwing it at Rick. It hit him square between the eyes causing the three of them to laugh at the expression on Rick's face. She walked over to stand beside Rick and continued working on her own pizza. 

Will and Carl put their pizzas in the oven first before running into the living room to find a film for them all to watch. Hayley gave her word that she'd be the one to watch the pizzas, the boys clearly not trusting Rick after the cake incident. The two adults engaged in small talk while waiting for the pizzas to cook. "So why did you decide to move to a small town like King County" Rick asked.

"Well I always loved small towns, grew up in one. My ex-husband hated the idea but as soon as I got the divorce I looked for a place. I just really wanted to get out of the city" Hayley responded as she cleaned up the mess they had made.

"Well I'm glad you moved here" Rick said putting left over toppings in the fridge "Does Will like being here?" 

"Oh he loves it, he settled in better than I thought he would" Hayley signed "he's not particularly looking forward to going back to the city next weekend" 

"Why? If you don't mind me asking"

"He's going to stay with his dad, court said he gets supervised visits once every two weeks. Next weeks his first one unsupervised. I practically have to drag Will as it is" Hayley sighed sadly leaning against the counter 

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to" Rick lent next to her putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"No it's okay, let's just say he's an asshole and leave it at that for now. I'm just glad that Will was okay with the divorce". Hayley had been worried about Will hating her for taking him away from everything. Turns out he didn't really care about leaving his dad after what he did. He was however upset about having to leave his friends behind but he was always supportive towards her. It made her heart swell. 

"When me and Lori got divorced Carl didn't take it well, he didn't understand why I had to leave. Over time he got used to it and understood why we did it. Guess I'm lucky me and Lori remained friends" Rick spoke trying to steer the conversation away from her ex "I honestly think I only stayed with her as long as I did because I was afraid to hurt Carl but now I realise that the divorce was what's best for all of us"

"I know what you mean, I was scared Will would hate me but it was the opposite." Hayley smiled turning to face Rick "We must've done something right when raising them"

"Oh you definitely did Will's a great kid Hayley, you should be proud" 

"So should you officer, Carl's great" A moment of silence passed between the two adults as they found themselves staring at each other. The two were so distracted that they didn't even notice that they'd gotten closer. The oven timer started beeping causing them to jump, Rick coughed awkwardly as Hayley busied herself with getting the pizzas out the oven. Once she was done cutting up the pizzas and putting them on a plate Rick helped her carry them into the room. Inside the room they found that Will and Carl were sat on opposite ends of the sofa leaving the middle for Rick and Hayley. The two looked at each other somewhat awkwardly before sitting down next to their sons. 

They had chosen The Lion King to watch which was clearly both boys favourite as they sang along to all the songs. After finishing their pizzas they set the plates on the side tables and settled to more comfortable positions on the sofa. Once the film had ended the only one left awake was Hayley who couldn't help but chuckle at the sleeping boys. Checking the time she noticed it was 9pm and decided to wake Rick as he probably needed to get Carl home. "Rick" she whispered shaking his shoulder gently, he didn't move "Rick" she raised her voice slightly finally awaking the sleeping man. 

"Hmm? What time is it" he stretched, rubbing his eyes, he turned his face to Hayley.

"Nine, the boys are asleep and have school in the morning" She slowly got off the sofa and gently laid Will down as Rick picked up Carl. Hayley grabbed the boys shoes and coat from the hall closet as Rick slipped on his shoes and took Carl to the car. Placing Carl gently in the backseat along with his shoes and coat Rick turned to Hayley.

"I had a great time today. Normally it's just me and Carl, sometimes Shane. It was nice to spend it with someone else".

"Thank you for inviting us" Hayley tucked some stray hair behind her ears "we should do this again sometime"

"We definitely should" Rick agreed "I'll see you tomorrow?" Rick seemed to be debating something in his head before he quickly placed a feather light kiss on Hayley's cheek. "Goodnight Hayley" 

"Night Rick" Hayley breathed out still in shock from the kiss Rick had given her, her cheeks were on fire as she watched Rick get in his car and drive away. After she'd snapped out of her slightly dazed state Hayley went back inside only to find Will standing in the hallway. Her son had a wide grin on his face as he looked at her.

"You know I like him, he'd be good for you" was all her son said before he headed upstairs for bed. Hayley stood in the hallway mouth agape as everything suddenly clicked into place in her head.

"Oh those sneaky little devils"


	4. Confrontation and Confessions

Monday had been and gone, Rick hadn't shown up at the bakery for breakfast like he said he would. Turns out him and Shane were running late so Shane was the one to come in and grab two coffees to go. Hayley was disappointed although she didn't let it show, instead she plastered a smile on her face and continued to work. 

This morning Rick and Shane had come into the bakery however Shane came up to order their usual as Rick sat down at the table. He hadn't said anything to her just given her a nod as greeting. Hayley was wondering if she'd done something wrong. They had a great time on Sunday so she wasn't sure why he seemed to be avoiding her now. She wanted to go over there and confront him but the bakery was busy and Chloe had yet to arrive so she decided to leave it alone for now, maybe he was just stressed with work. 

However no matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with Rick. She debating texting him but decided against it, she was unsure of what to say anyway. 

"You okay sweetheart?" Mary asked as she headed into the kitchen.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Hayley looked at the elder woman with confusion 

"You seem distracted dear. It wouldn't have anything to do with that officer now would it?" Mary chuckled at the wide eyed look on Hayley's face "oh honey it's so obvious, I could see the sadness in your eyes this morning when he didn't say anything" 

Hayley sighed and leaned against the counter top "I don't know Mary. He wouldn't even look at me this morning, we had such a good time the other day. Did I do something?" 

"No dear, maybe he's just got a lot on his plate. You know what men are like, just give him some time" Mary smiled at the younger woman. She was no fool she could see the look on Hayley's face when she look at the man and the looks he gives her when he thinks nobodies watching.

"You're right I'm probably just overthink it all" They heard the bell go signalling someone entering the shop so Hayley left to let Mary get back to work. 

Business was rather slow that day causing Hayley to find herself rather bored. She, Chloe and Mary were in the kitchen having a tea break when the bell for the door went. "I got it" Hayley said getting up and making her way to the front of the store. There was a tall brunette woman waiting at the counter "hello ma'am what can I get for you today?" 

"Oh I'm actually looking for someone, Hayley I think it is" The woman spoke in a calm tone but there was something else in her voice that set Hayley on edge.

"That's me I'm Hayley Summers" 

"Ah so your Hayley. I'm Lori Gri- Wilson" The woman stuck her hand out for her to shake. Upon seeing the confused look the girl was giving her Lori decided to elaborate "Carl's mother". Realisation hit Hayley as soon as the woman said that, looking at Lori now she could definitely see the resemblance between mother and son.

"Oh well it's nice to meet you. Carl is a great kid" to say Hayley was nervous about meeting Rick's ex-wife and Carl's mother was an understatement. She felt like she was being judged by the woman causing her to feel uncomfortable. 

"Thank you, Carl can't stop talking about you and your son. So I thought I better meet the woman that's taking my kid for days out and pizza parties." There was a certain harshness to the woman's voice that caused Hayley's back to straighten. 

"I'm sorry is that a problem? Carl was the one that invited me and my son, Rick insisted we go" Hayley explained. 

"Yes I bet he did" Lori's eyes bore into Hayley. 

"Um why don't we go sit down and talk about this. Clearly there is something you want to say to me and I'd rather not do it here" Hayley called into the kitchen for Chloe to work the counter and bring two teas out to the table her and Lori were sat at. Sitting down at the table Hayley got a good look at Lori, she was tall, thin and beautiful. She could see why Rick had married her, there was no way she could compete with that. 

"Look I don't mean to be rude it's just I don't know you and you're clearly new in town. Yet my son and apparently my ex-husband have already taken quite a shine to you" Lori was the first to break the awkward silence "I just don't want them to get hurt" 

"It's okay, I guess I would feel the same if I were in your shoes. Carl and Will became fast friends and I guess so did Rick and I. He's a good man" Hayley said taking a sip of tea.

"That he is. Can I ask you a question?" Hayley nodded her head taking another sip of tea "Do you have feelings for him?" Hayley almost chocked on her tea upon hearing this.

"W-what?" She stammered, what exactly had Carl been telling her? Hayley thought to herself. 

"I'll take that as a yes" Lori let out a quiet chuckle "My son seems to think you're good for him. Don't worry I'm not some jealous ex-wife but Rick is still my friend and I don't want him to get hurt" 

"Honestly I'm not sure how I feel yet but believe me when I say I'd never intentional hurt him, ever" Hayley looked Lori in the eye showing her how serious she was 

"That's good to hear. Listen I feel really bad about before I didn't mean to be so short with you" Lori tried to explain but Hayley cut in.

"But you care and you just wanted to make sure I would hurt anyone. It's okay Lori I probably would do the same thing." Hayley understood Lori's reaction to meeting her it was a mothers instinct to be protective. After the initial awkwardness the two women had a rather nice chat while they drank their tea. Hayley could tell that Lori still had some feelings for her ex-husband but chose not to dwell on it, she was a nice enough person. 

Looking at the clock Hayley cursed slightly. The two adults had lost track of time, it was already time to pick Will up from school. Hayley offered Lori a ride noticing that the woman had walked here. The car ride to the school was silent, the silence remained as they waited for their sons. 

Hayley noticed some other mothers were looking at them both and whispering to each other. Hayley rolled her eyes at them, did they have nothing better to do then gossip? Lori noticing the looks also turned to Hayley and whispered "News travels fast in this town, don't worry it'll be something else tomorrow" 

"Let's hope" Hayley mumbled as she glanced back over at the whispering moms. Not too long after Will and Carl came out of school together. Upon seeing their mothers together the both froze before turning to whisper something to each other. The two boys came over shortly after Will shaking Lori's hand in greeting, giving her a big grin. 

Hayley offered Lori and Carl a ride home but they declined saying the house wasn't too far. Sat in the car Will looked over at his mother and asked "How did you meet Carl's mom?" 

"She came into the bakery today, apparently she wanted to meet me" Hayley answered as she drove home. She had left Chloe back at the bakery to lock up as she wanted to spend some time with her son. 

"Carl told me that his mom wasn't happy when he kept talking about you" Will grumbled 

"Yes well that's all sorted now so don't bring it up okay?" Hayley decided to change the subject "So what do you want to do today?". She decided to change the subject not really wanting to talk about it anymore. Will thought for a moment,

"Can you help me with my maths  
? Then we could watch a film?" 

"Sounds good buddy" Hayley pulled into the driveway. Once in the house the two went and sat at the kitchen table where Hayley helped Will with his homework. Math seemed to be Will's weak point when it came to subjects but he still tried his hardest and got good grades. He seemed to have more work then some of the other kids, probably because he was new. It took them about an hour to complete his maths work and another hour for him to complete the rest. While Will was finishing his work Hayley decided to do some washing as she hadn't really done any since last week.

Will was playing on his PlayStation and Hayley was cooking the pasta for tea when Hayley's phone chimed. Picking it up off the counter she looked at the text and felt worry course through her,

Hey we need to talk. Can I come round later? - Rick 

Hayley bit her lip nervously, the text sounded serious and she wondered if it anything to do with why he had been avoiding her. She took in a deep breath before typing back her reply 

Of course, is 7 good with you? - Hayley 

See you then - Rick 

Hayley had been quiet throughout dinner lost in her thoughts about what Rick wanted to talk to her about. Had she done something wrong? She didn't see how she had, she hadn't spoken to him since Sunday. Still that didn't stop her mind from thinking the worst. 

They were currently sat watching Labyrinth when the doorbell went. Hayley stood up and nervously smoothed down her hair as she walked towards the front door. Opening it she saw Rick there still in his sheriffs uniform.

"Hey" Hayley stepped aside to let Rick in "um why don't we go sit at the table and talk. You want a coffee or something?" 

"That would be great, thank you" Rick went to sit down at the table while Hayley made Rick's coffee and her tea. She placed the mugs on the table before sitting across from Him, who she noticed looked nervous. "So uh how are you?" 

"I'm good, business was slow today...and um your ex-wife paid me a visit today" 

"Jesus Christ" Rick ran a hand down his face "I'm so sorry Hayley"

"No it was okay. She was nice enough" Hayley shrugged it off, she didn't really want to discuss what the two had talked about.

"Good" Rick paused for a moment debating his next words "Listen I'm sorry that I haven't talked to you these past couple day. I've had a lot to think about" 

"Did I do something wrong?" Hayley waited nervously for Rick's answer.

"God no" Rick looked straight at her for the first time since he arrived "it's just Carl said something to me on Sunday when we go home and I've been lost in thought about it" 

"You know Will said something to me too, caused me to think. What did Carl say?". Rick shifted nervously,

"She'd be good for you" he whispered out. Hayley couldn't help it, she started giggling. Rick looked confused "what's so funny?" 

"He'd be good for you, that's what Will said to me" realisation hit Rick who started laughing along with her. The laughter died down shortly after and the atmosphere turned more serious.

"Listen I know that we haven't known each other long and we don't know each other very well yet but I'd like to get to know you better, if you want to?" 

"Why officer are you asking me out on a date?" 

"Yeah, I guess I am." Rick smiled lightly causing Hayley to smile back 

"I'm not sure how I feel yet and I get the feeling you don't either, but what I do know is that I really enjoy spending time with you. So yes Rick I will go on a date with you". The two adults looked shyly at each other as the continued drinking their drinks. 

"So um are you free Saturday?" Rick questioned.

"Yeah Will's staying with his dad this weekend" Hayley grimaced at the thought "but wait don't you have Carl?" She didn't want to take time away from father and son time. 

"Shane can watch him for a couple of hours, it's fine honestly" Rick replied. Hayley thought about it for a moment she guessed that if it was okay with him then it was okay with her. Will wouldn't be home so she'd need the distraction anyway.

"Okay. So where are you taking me on our first date officer?" 

"I was thinking dinner. I know it's not exciting but I haven't really been on a first date in well over 10 years" Rick explained nervously. Truth he was nervous about the whole thing he hadn't been on a date since Lori. He just didn't want to mess it up. 

"Rick that sounds perfect" Hayley gently placed her hand on top of his in reassurance "I haven't been on a first date since my ex either." Hearing that made Rick feel slightly less nervous. The two finished their drinks while discussing random topics and their work. It amazed both of them that they never seemed to run out of things to talk about. 

Meanwhile Will was sat in the living room silently listening to the two adults converse. He couldn't keep the little smile off his face as he heard him mom sounding happy for the first time in a long time. When she had been with his dad Will noticed that his mother never really smiled, her laugh was forced and her eyes dull. When they had left that night Will could instantly see the difference, she was happier. Since meeting Rick he'd noticed a certain spark in her eyes. He truly did believe Rick was good for her. 

"Is that the time already?" Rick said glancing at his watch. The both of them had been talking for almost two hours now. "I better go, got an early morning tomorrow." The two adults got up and headed towards the front door. They were reluctant to say goodbye but knew that they had to. "I'll see you tomorrow and I'll text you about Saturday" Rick stepped outside into the chilly night air.

"I look forward to it officer" Hayley said as she leaned against the door. The two gave there final good nights before parting ways. Hayley closed the door smiling, she felt like a teenager again. 

"So, he finally asked you on a date" Hayley jumped at the sound of her sons voice. 

"Yes he did" Hayley bit her lip nervously "That's okay isn't it? If you're no comfortable with it then-" Hayley cut herself off when Will ran over and embraced her. She put her arms around his shoulder and kissed his hair softly. 

"You deserve to be happy mom. After dad you deserve someone to make you happy." Hayley left tears come to her eyes at her sons words. He was the only good thing to come out of her marriage.

"I love you" Hayley mumbled into her sons hair as she held him tighter. 

"Love you too mom" Will replied before letting her go and walking up the stairs to get ready for bed. Hayley stood in the hallway and for the first time in a long time she felt happy. She just prayed that it would last


End file.
